Sherrington: Here's a terrible sign for Mavericks and new center Samuel Dalembert ...

Columnist Kevin Sherrington answered questions in a chat Thursday. Here are some highlights.

Question: Are the Mavericks rebuilding? Are they piecing together a title run? I can't really tell.

Kevin Sherrington: They're caught in between. Dirk hated the team made up of him and nine mercenaries last year, and made it clear to Cuban, who responded by trying to piece together a little more stability around him. He probably did the best he could under the circumstances, but Dalembert is woefully out of shape, a terrible sign, and he's their only hope on defense. They'll score more points this year and they won't turn it over as much, but they still won't defend anyone. It'll look a lot like the Mavs did in the Steve Nash years. Lots of fun offensively; not so good defensively. It's a playoff team, probably, which might not be so good. They'd be better off finishing in the lottery, which will be one of the best in years.

To post a comment, log into your chosen social network and then add your comment below. Your comments are subject to our Terms of Service and the privacy policy and terms of service of your social network. If you do not want to comment with a social network, please consider writing a letter to the editor.